Omar Khalid
Plastic plant pots are often not accepted by city recycling programs, and many gardeners are left with piles of plastic pots that they cannot recycle through their usual channels. However, some major retailers such as Home Depot and Lowe's have started accepting plastic pots for recycling and reuse in partnership with plastics companies. Gardeners can also reuse their own plastic pots, or return them to nurseries and garden centers for reuse.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Plastic pots recyclable at Home Depot | Started a recycling program in partnership with East Jordan Plastics in 2009 |
| Plastic pots recyclable at Lowe's | Yes, at all Garden Center locations nationwide |
| Black plastic pots recyclable | No, not accepted by most cities' curbside recycling programs |
| Plastic pots recyclable in Chicago | No, not accepted by the city's recycling program |
| Plastic pots recyclable in Fairfax County, VA | No, not accepted by the single-stream recycling process |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Home Depot and Lowe's accept plastic pots for recycling
If you're looking to recycle your plastic plant pots and planters, you're in luck! Both Home Depot and Lowe's accept plastic pots for recycling.
In 2009, Home Depot started a recycling program in partnership with East Jordan Plastics to collect and reuse plastic pots from any garden centre. At all Home Depot Garden Centres nationwide, customers can bring back their empty plastic pots to be recycled. Look for the black recycle sign with a green plant in your local Home Depot garden centre and place your pots on the rack. Home Depot will accept any plastic garden container in their garden centres. Recycled plastic containers can recover upwards of 60% of the energy tied to initial product processing and divert unnecessary waste from landfills.
Lowe's also accepts plastic plant pots and trays for recycling at all of their stores, even if you didn't purchase the plants there. It is always good to give your local store a call to confirm before heading over.
By recycling your plastic plant pots at these locations, you can help reduce plastic waste and contribute to a more sustainable future. So, don't throw away your old plastic planters – recycle them at Home Depot or Lowe's instead!
Recycling in Boonton: Are Plastics Recyclable?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Black plastic pots may not be accepted for recycling
It is worth checking with local garbage haulers and county environmental programs to see what they accept, as this can vary from place to place. Some counties may have a specific location to take black plastic for recycling. Additionally, some retailers like Home Depot and Lowe's accept plastic pots and trays for recycling, although it is recommended to call ahead to confirm.
If you cannot recycle black plastic pots in your area, consider repurposing them for your own use, such as for seed starting, or offering them for free online to someone who can reuse them. You can also try to avoid this issue altogether by seeking out plants that are started in compostable containers or by starting your own perennials with winter sowing.
While recycling markets are always changing, and recycling centers prefer that rigid plastic material be placed in the recycling bin rather than the trash, it is important to ensure that all plastic material is clean and free of dirt and residue to maximize its recycling value.
Recycling Reduces Plastic Waste, Minimizing New Plastic Demand
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Plastic pots can be reused for seed starting
There are also ways to make your own seed starter pots from household items. You can use items such as paper, packaging, fruit rinds, and eggshells. For example, you can use a cardboard roll from inside a paper towel and cut it into 2 or 3-inch sections, fill it with potting soil, and sow one seed per container. Newspaper can also be folded to create a small container for starting seeds. You can also make your own pots from papier-mâché or fashion a mini greenhouse.
If you are looking to recycle your plastic plant pots, you can take them to your nearest Home Depot Garden Center, which accepts all plastic pots and has a recycling program in partnership with East Jordan Plastics. Lowe's also accepts plastic pots and trays.
How Green Are UPS Plastic Envelopes?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Plastic pots can be recycled into new pots, trays, and hanging baskets
Firstly, some local garden centres may accept plastic pots for recycling. It is worth checking with the centre before taking your pots there, as some may not have this service. Alternatively, you could offer your pots for free online. This way, you may be able to find someone who needs them.
Some retailers also offer in-store recycling services. For example, Home Depot has a recycling program in partnership with East Jordan Plastics. This program accepts all plastic garden containers and turns them into new pots, trays, and hanging baskets. Lowe's also accepts plastic pots and trays in-store and has done so since 2011.
Finally, you can check with your local garbage haulers and county environmental programs to see if they accept plastic pots. Some counties accept plastics with recycling codes one through seven, while others only take plastic bottles with codes one or two. It is worth checking the codes on your plastic pots to see if they can be recycled in this way.
Effective Ways to Recycle Unmarked Plastic at Home
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Plastic pots should be kept separate from other recyclables
Plastic pots can be recycled, but they should be kept separate from other recyclables. This is because they are often made from different types of plastic resins, including polystyrene, which is not commonly recyclable. Even when clean, pots made from polystyrene or other non-recyclable plastics can contaminate the rest of the batch, making it unfit for recycling.
In some places, plastic pots are accepted in the curbside recycling program, but this is not universal. Some cities and counties do not accept plant pots for recycling because of the dirt factor. When dirt and recycled paper come into contact, the paper can become unfit for recycling. Even when clean, pots might not be accepted for recycling curbside because they can be made from various plastic resins.
It is important to check with local garbage haulers and county environmental programs to see what they accept. Some places, like Greater Manchester, accept plastic pots in the mixed recycling bin along with plastic bottles, glass bottles, jars, food tins, drink cans, empty aerosols, and foil. However, hard plastics, such as old plastic garden furniture or broken children's toys, cannot be recycled in the mixed recycling bin as they are too large and have a different recycling process.
To recycle plastic pots, one option is to take them to a local recycling center. Another option is to return them to a store that accepts them for recycling, such as Lowe's or Home Depot. These stores have special programs in place to collect and recycle plastic plant pots, regardless of where they were purchased.
Plastic Recycling in the USA: How Effective Is It?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Many cities do not accept plant pots in their recycling programs, mainly because they are rarely free of dirt. Most nurseries and garden centers will accept plastic pots for reuse. Home Depot and Lowe's accept plastic pots and trays at all of their garden center locations nationwide.
If they are successfully identified and separated out as trash, they may be combusted and converted into electricity. If they aren't separated, they could contaminate other recyclables and waste the whole bunch.
Reuse your plastic pots as much as possible. When feasible, opt for plants sold in biodegradable containers. You can also seek out nurseries that will take back pots for reuse.
Black plastic is not accepted by most cities' recycling programs because the machines that sort recyclables use optical scanning which cannot "see" black plastic. However, some counties sort recyclables by hand and may accept black plastic. Check with your local garbage haulers and county environmental programs to see what they accept.
